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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. can — a tin
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. board — a committee
  5. shower — to wash
  6. craft — boats
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. bore — to tire
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. board — to get on
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. shower — rain
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. craft — a skill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com